“Very good, sir.”
They entered the Great Cabin, found it to be a substantial space immediately below the deck at the stern, high enough that Septimus could stand upright, large enough to accommodate the forty or so adults present in comfortable chairs or at the card tables. There were four large dining tables set out to the rear, close to the kitchens.
“Tea or coffee may always be ordered, night or day, as may other drinks. Depending on the length of the voyage and the state of the larders, there will be cakes or biscuits as well, sir, ma’am.”
Septimus glanced about the cabin, discovered three other Royal officers, a colonel and two captains and four in uniforms he did not recognise and assumed to be Company, all captains.
The Honourable East India Company, often called John Company - for many possible reasons, none of them proven correct - maintained three armies of its own and trained and officered the client armies of several Indian rulers. The variations of uniform were unending.
All wore ordinary mess dress, he noticed. As courtesy demanded, he strode across to the lieutenant-colonel and drew himself to attention and gave his name.
“My pleasure, Major Pearce. My name is Churchward, to join the 19th Foot, the North Yorks, in Ceylon, I believe.”
“I am for the Hampshires, sir, they having lost both majors to fever.”
“I had not heard that, Major, but I purchased very recently on recovery from a minor wound taken two years ago on one of those foolish raids of the French coast.”
“I indulged in one of those, sir, at the beginning of the war, with the New Foresters. Not the best use of men, I believe.”
“I agree, sir. Were you with the New Foresters in the Sugar Islands?”
“I was, sir, saw both campaigns.”
Churchward acknowledged his service – the regiment was known to have done far better than most.
“What of dinner, sir? Full dress?”
“Impractical, Major Pearce – six months of shipboard and wearing full dress every night would reduce us all to threadbare rags. Mess dress except once a month when all will follow the ship’s captain’s example of full dress; there will be an extra course at dinner in celebration. Ladies to wear best bib and tucker for such occasions, otherwise day dresses are sufficient. Jewellery to be restrained, except on our High Days.”
“I shall inform my lady, though I see she is in conversation already and will no doubt tell me!”
“Are you a card-player, Major Pearce?”
“I enjoy whist, sir.”
“So do I. I believe some of the other gentlemen habitually play other games, for stakes that sometimes may not be small.”
“Not me, sir. I have seen such to lead to the grass at dawn on one occasion and wish to have no part in it. In Ireland that was, and a bad business! Though I have to say it led to my first step, taking a lieutenant’s role in the company after one died and the other left rapidly for the Americas; very good experience for a green ensign!”
Churchward nodded - they had all heard of such affairs, though increasingly rare in the modern age.
“I believe we may be able to make up a whist table, Major Pearce – there are two others I know to be players.”
A week and they were settled into an imitation of civilised life – the card table for much of the day; a little of exercise on deck; a long and leisurely dinner table, the ladies remaining till late and maintaining elegant conversation, those who could. They had brought books with them and Marianne had provided herself with embroidery as well, so as to demonstrate the ladylike accomplishment. They rapidly fell into circles of the like-minded, some wholly military, most showing a mix of civilians, many of the John Company people displaying a gentleman’s education and deportment, just a little to Septimus’ surprise. They learned between them much of India.
“The Wellesleys are bent on war, one discovers, Septimus.”
There had been some comment on the coincidence that Arthur Wellesley, the brother of the Governor, Lord Mornington, had been sent out to India with his regiment and should almost immediately have been appointed Brigadier and have been sent out to war. He had done remarkably well, it was admitted, but the degree of 'interest' was thought by some to be excessive.
“Government wishes to expand British rule, my love. The reason being primarily greed, of course, but also to leave no place for the French. Where we are not, they will be, so there is little choice other than to push out the frontiers of our influence. To an extent, it is like Ireland – if England does not control them then the French will, to our great detriment. A successful campaign, my love, and I shall add to your rubies!”
They were undressing after the first formal dinner evening where Marianne had worn her jewels to the envy of many of the wives; only the most senior had outmatched her, to her own pleasure.
“I love the stones, Septimus – they are truly beautiful!”
“The more so for your wearing them, my love!”
The voyage was prosperous and lasted only twenty-three weeks, three less than was common; the winds had favoured them, all agreed.
They landed at Bombay, the surf-boats a shock to many. There was no docks at Bombay and passengers and luggage were taken to shore, more or less dry-foot, in small boats that were very rarely lost in the waves of the Indian Ocean. Landing day was a holiday for the residents, many of the younger officers and European gentleman coming to the shore to take the opportunity to assist the younger ladies onto dry land. It was noticeable that older wives were often left to help themselves.
Septimus stood his tallest, forewarned, and stepped ashore in advance of Marianne and lifted her from the boat himself. He was especially careful because she believed herself to be some three months with child - there being little to do aboard ship, after all.
Horse Guards had despatched a message by the overland mail, which had reached Bombay on this occasion. Sent by ship to Constantinople or Alexandria or Aleppo, depending on the flux of the war with France, then given into the charge of a British officer with bodyguards and relays of horses, a mailbag could reach Bombay in ten or eleven weeks, with ordinary luck. If the luck ran out then neither mailbag nor officer were ever seen again. Most often, the run was successful and the young gentleman was rewarded richly for his bravery by means occasionally of cash but more often with a plum posting or promotion.
There was a party waiting for Septimus, with horses and a carriage; the regiment had assigned him quarters and had organised servants. All was ready for him, which was not always the case, he later discovered.
He had met Colonel Horncastle socially in Winchester and while he had no great liking for the man as a friend, neither had taken the other in aversion. They would work together easily.
"You will find India similar in many ways to the Sugar Islands, Major Pearce, in terms of clime and working. Parades at early in the morning; no work during the midday hours; the men to be treated easily when the weather is at its hottest."
"Just so, sir. One loses far too many otherwise."
"Exactly. Where the country differs is in the availability of servants, Major. Even the men have them! Not necessarily individuals assigned to each, but numbers to the various barrack rooms. They are shaved by the barber and provided water by the bhisti boy and their uniforms are polished and pipeclayed and brushed and sponged down for them. Muskets are never to be placed into the servants' hands, that is the great exception. Other than that, they are to a significant extent gentlemen of leisure. A shilling will buy them drink for a week and tuppence a woman for a night; disease and alcoholic excess kill more of our men than all of our campaigns!"
"Is there a campaigning season, sir?"
"The Dry is preferred - it is hard to march and commonly impossible to draw artillery in the Monsoon months. But, of course, we respond when the need arises. The problem of the bandits is always present and Pindaris and Marathas will take no notice of our difficulties!"
"It is fair to say then, sir, that we will
attack the French and their allies in the Dry, but may have to defend our own in the Monsoon as well?"
"It is. The problem always will be that of numbers, of course. To fight at ten to one is a commonplace. It is a problem overcome only by the most vigorous use of the offensive. When we contact the enemy, we attack them and do not stop until they run, which they commonly will, their own Princes rarely inspiring loyalty in them. Where one of their leaders is loved by the common folk then the fighting can be bitter hard - but that is rare indeed!"
Septimus thought that he would worry about that problem when the time came; fighting was no hardship to him. The colonel, knowing his reputation, also was unconcerned.
"What of the Mess, sir?"
"Dine in, twice weekly, wives in company. Junior officers are all single, of course and dine every night without fail, but often find amusement in parties in town after, though never on their own. Well, almost never - there are one or two young men with more money than sense... Captains take Guard Duty in rotation, one subaltern with them. Good practice and maintained fully - there is always an armed picket to hand, Major Pearce."
"Inspection, sir?"
"Certainly, Major Pearce. It has been my habit to visit the Guard at least once a week. I shall continue in that."
"With your permission, I shall do the same, sir. On a different night, of course."
"Very wise, Major Pearce. We must avoid sloth - an attack might eventuate without other warning. Unlikely, but not impossible."
"Parades, sir?"
"You to take the left five companies, if you would be so good. Captain Reynolds will continue as senior with the right five - if that is acceptable."
"Excellent, sir." Septimus could have claimed the right five companies, as the more honourable and befitting the senior man; he had no wish to cause upset, however. "Finally, sir, what of numbers? How many men remain fit to serve?"
"Five hundred and ten, Major Pearce, of slightly more than seven hundred who came out some eighteen months ago. There is a draft aboard one of the other Indiamen, I hope, but I know not how many."
"A bad fever season, sir?"
"Slightly worse than normal, certainly. Some casualties in our one brush with Pindaris. A run of a virulent form of the pox and, worst of all, a batch of bad arrack - the alcohol incorrectly distilled and a dozen men dead and as many blind and more still unable to walk straight. It is one of the most common forms of danger here, Major Pearce, and the men still insist on buying cheap booze, refusing to spend tuppence when they can get away with a penny for a bottle!"
Soldiers would drink anything, and idle soldiers would drink everything; there was no solution.
"What exactly are these Pindaris, sir?"
"Damned if I know, Major Pearce. Bandits who prey on the villagers and appear in great swarms. Light horse in essence, not badly armed - lances, swords and carbines and pistols commonly - but lacking discipline in the field. A square will slap them down, and I have seen a triple line stop a charge, for they will not ride together but attack in ones and twos, some holding back, others apparently fearless. They seem to be nomadic tribesmen, but may be something more - we do not have any degree of certainty. They must, sooner or later, be tracked down and wiped out, but that will take a full campaign by an army."
"And the others, sir, the Marathas, I am told are more of a military nature."
"A Confederation of Princes, Major Pearce. They tend to invade rather than raid - often with an artillery train and substantial numbers of horse. It will be possible eventually to take each princedom and its cities and fortresses in an organised war. There is reason to suppose that they have French aid in some form - probably officers and sergeants to train them and lead them on campaign."
It promised to be a busy few years with two distinct enemies to be put down. The Monsoon was due and there would be no activity until afterwards; time to enter the new draft into the ranks and to bring the men's training up to scratch. If they were to be outnumbered then their musketry must be raised to the highest level.
The colonel mentioned the matter of horses - Septimus must have three at least. Riding stock of good quality could be bought very easily and he would be happy to make the arrangements if Septimus wished. It was in part a genuine wish to make the new man welcome, but it was also a subtle way of discovering whether Septimus had money of his own, a gentleman's private income. He was not at all displeased when Septimus offered to place one hundred guineas in his hands immediately.
Septimus passed word that he would meet his company commanders next morning and then went home - they did not work in the afternoons.
"All well, my dear?"
"Septimus, husband, there are more than thirty servants in this house, 'bungalow' I understand it to be called!"
"It is quite a large place, my love!"
"Eight bedrooms; four reception and a huge dining-room; a billiards room with a full-size table; a study for you. Kitchens and sculleries galore. Two bathrooms, with vast tin baths. A stables, with tack rooms beside. We are only missing an elephant, I suspect, though they may have one hidden behind the outhouses!"
"Where are Cooper and Polly located, my dear?"
"They have rooms of their own, and servants of their own as well!"
"Where do the servants live? Are there quarters?"
"There is a positive village at the rear!"
"Rather a large staff for you to control, I suspect, my dear."
"Not at all, sir - it is not for me to take any part in the household! There is a gentleman who might best be described as the major-domo - a combination of butler and housekeeper in one - he seems to call himself kansamah, though I am not at all sure if that was the word I heard. I do not believe it to be his name, certainly. He commands the servants and I am permitted to give my instructions to my own maids - two of them, no less - and to tell him what I want. The actual cleaning and running of the house is not to be my affair at all, though I understand that I may be permitted to make complaint to him if I am dissatisfied!"
"We are to dine with Colonel Horncastle tomorrow; no doubt Mrs Colonel will be able to explain much to you."
Mrs Colonel spoke at length, mainly on the topic of the arrogance of her own major-domo. As for running the house - 'do not interfere' was the sole advice she could give.
"They know better than either of us, my dear Mrs Pearce, and will be bitterly hurt if we attempt to impose our own misguided ideas upon them. You will discover the house to be well kept and the servants to be polite and very busy. It will not be wholly an English household in its ways, but more than adequate for our needs. Speak severely to the chief cook on occasion, demanding that he meet the Major's requirements for foods - never your own, for they will be terrified of the Major, so large a man and known by all to be ferocious."
"Is he, ma'am?"
"Why, yes, my dear! The moment we were told his name, some three months ago, the Colonel informed the officers of his history - the New Foresters being familiar to the Hampshires in the nature of things. The word spread, as it does in India, and the men spoke of him and the servants heard all. Additionally, many of the sergeants keep local women in their own unofficial households and so everything becomes known in the native town."
Marianne reflected that the native women might well know more than she did, for her husband had been reticent about his exploits in the field. She knew from the huge scar on his chest that he had been wounded in battle, but he would say nothing other than that he had been shot due to an incautious pursuit and that he would know to be more alert next time.
She said as much and received a rueful smile - it was not done among the better officers to boast to their wives, she gathered.
Septimus sat over port with the colonel and discovered that one could try big-game hunting - several of the subalterns were quite enthusiastic, it seemed - or one could ride out into the surrounding country, with an armed escort always, if one fancied exercise. Some officers immersed themselves in the loca
l ways - but they were always unmarried men and often of dubious inclination, or so it appeared to the colonel.
"A few take to religion, Major Pearce, and more to drink and native women. On a posting of seven years duration, of course, one can hardly expect them to behave like monks, unless they truly have a spiritual vocation. Quite a number seem to be taking to the Church these days - it was never like that in the Mess when I was young!"
The colonel was closer to fifty than forty, Septimus imagined, and becoming elderly in his ways. He wondered how he would behave in the field, not doubting his courage but questioning his ability to respond to a new situation, to alter a plan once made. He had been told before that the Army was slowly changing, some blaming the new schools that were becoming increasingly common. It was no longer the case that an officer would almost invariably have been tutored at home before purchasing his pair of colours - more and more had been away at school, very often the province of unbeneficed clergymen become monitors and dominies.
"While they can, and will, fight, colonel, then I am none too concerned, sir."
"You are a man who has only known the Army in time of war, Major Pearce. It is different during a long peace. Of course, in India there is no such thing as 'peace', truly speaking. There is always a princeling - one of these rajah fellows - who does not know his place, or bandits crossing the border, or a rising against John Company's taxes - we are never allowed to become fat and idle in retirement!"
The war had lasted more than seven years already and seemed to have a long future - the prospect of peace-time service was unlikely. It might, however, be very tedious if it ever eventuated. If the wars should come to an end, what should he do?
Much would depend on just how long it was before peace descended upon the world; if he was in his thirties, say, then he might still have a hankering for an active life; was he to be an older man then a retirement to Winchester might feel more acceptable. But why plan ahead? Whatever he had in mind, his superiors would give their own orders for their own reasons and he would either obey or sell out - and his private income was sufficient that he could make his own choice, though, practically speaking, if there were to be children, then a little more of hard cash behind him would be quite handy. He would keep an eye on the main chance - a little of loot could be very useful!
Raging Rajahs (Man of Conflict Series, Book 2) Page 8